SERIES & GRADE:

POSITION INFORMATION:

PROMOTION POTENTIAL:

DUTY LOCATIONS:

WHO MAY APPLY:

Applications will be accepted from US Citizens. As permitted,Non-Citizens may also be considered. Due to a recent change in Federal Appropriations Law if selected for a Federal Appointment only "US Citizens & Non-US Citizens who are permanent US residents actively seeking US citizenship" are eligible for employment. If offered employment you will be asked to provide evidence.

JOB SUMMARY:

NSF is on the leading edge of discovery in areas from astronomy to geology to zoology. In addition to funding research in traditional academic areas, the agency also supports innovative ideas, novel collaborations and numerous projects that may seem like science fiction today, but become the reality of tomorrow. NSF ensures that research is fully integrated with education so that today's revolutionary work will also be training future scientists and engineers.

We are also at the forefront of federal business and operations best practices, ensuring accountability and efficacy of the work we do. More about NSF. Be part of a team keeping the United States at the leading edge of scientific discovery! Science Assistants serve a vital support function to the National Science Foundation's scientific directorates. NSF Science Assistants work at the intersection of scientific and administrative functions of the Foundation. If you are self-motivated, results-driven, like to find and implement improvements, and want to be actively involved in the work of your organization, our Science Assistant positions are for you. The National Science Foundation anticipates multiple openings for these positions. These positions are being filled under an "Application Pool" process. Certificates of eligibles are issued based on requests from the Directorates. Normally multiple positions are filled through this type of vacancy. Multidisciplinary vacancies are filled depending on an applicant's educational/work experience background. The disciplines (with their series) are as follows: 1701 Education 0401 Biology 0101 Social Science 1520 Math 1550 Computer Science 1301 Physical Science 0801 Engineering All applicants go into an "Application Pool" and referrals are based on educational and/or work experience.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

Background investigation

School Transcripts

DUTIES:

In the role of a Science Assistant you will: • Conduct analyses and provide reports and related presentations of information on the Division's (or Office's) scientific programs. • Provide scientific input to relevant aspects of the merit review process, including developing solicitations; reading proposals for responsiveness to the solicitation and preliminary grouping of proposals. • Attend panel meetings and provide feedback on completeness of panel summaries and/or minutes of the scientific discussion. • Provide assistance to program officers and division management in overseeing scientific progress on awards, including working with principal investigators and program officers to collect high quality, scientifically accurate highlights and results. • Develop data and report on scientific portfolios for Committees of Visitors and other results-oriented activities. • Provide assistance to Division (or Office) management in enhancing interactions with the scientific community, including interactions with Advisory Committees. • Participate in outreach meetings, including activities with schools and interacts with relevant elements of the National Academies.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

To qualify for this position, candidates must have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study in an accredited institution leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in the sciences, engineering, or management. Applicants must have at least a Bachelor's degree in the sciences or engineering fields. Transcripts must be upload or faxed using a fax cover sheet prior to the closing date of the vacancy in order to be eligible for the position. To be included on an applicant referral list you must meet eligibility and qualification requirements within 30 days of the date the referral list is issued. You must answer all job-related questions in the NSF eRecruit questionnaire. This position is in the bargaining unit. You will be required to provide proof of education from an accredited institution prior to the closing date of the vacancy.

Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited institution leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in the sciences, engineering, or management (or, for temporary positions in the Office of the General Counsel, a bachelor's degree in one of these fields and acceptance by an accredited law school).

To be included on an applicant referral list you must meet eligibility and qualification requirements within 30 days of the date the referral list is issued. You must answer all job-related questions in the NSF eRecruit questionnaire. This position is in the bargaining unit. You will be required to provide proof of education from an accredited institution prior to the closing date of the vacancy.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Candidates will be evaluated based on the relevance of their academic degree(s) to the primary discipline of the position being filled. To preview questions please click here. To preview questions please click here.

BENEFITS:

A GREAT LOCATION! The National Science Foundation is conveniently located one block from the Ballston Metro Station, a few blocks from Routes 66 and 50, and about three miles from downtown Washington. Employees may rent parking spaces in the building garage. There are many shops and restaurants within easy walking distance. Eligible employees receive: 10 paid holidays per year 13-26 days paid annual (vacation) leave per year 13 days paid sick leave per year Pre-tax parking Public transportation subsidy Child Development Center on site Child care subsidy Flexible working hours Telecommuting Physical Fitness Facility on site NSF Federal Credit Union on site Health Services Unit on site Employee Assistance Program

OTHER INFORMATION:

HOW TO APPLY:

Your application should be submitted online and must be completed and all required documents successfully faxed (or uploaded) before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the closing date. Since referrals may occur prior to the closing date, we urge you to submit all required documents as soon as possible; you cannot be referred until you have a complete application which includes the required documents. You must answer all of the job-related questions to ensure full consideration for this position. For more detailed information, please review our NSF eRecruit Applicant Guide. If you do not have internet access or if you have questions, please contact the Human Resources Representative listed in the vacancy announcement. WARNING! Applications submitted online must have a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full or blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position. Referrals of applications will be made as requests are received. Applicant referrals will commence on or after April 1, 2013. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early and to submit their school transcripts along with their application in order to be referred once requests are received. If transcripts are not received by the time of a request, the applicant will not be eligible for that particular request, but may be eligible for later requests (depending on when their transcripts are received.) Please note that NSF employees may receive first consideration for job openings. Applications received by the closing date of this announcement will continue to be considered for up to 90 days after the closing date. Failure to answer all of the job related questions may result in your application not being considered.

NOTE: Applications will be accepted from US Citizens. Due to a recent change in Federal Appropriations Law, only Non-Citizens who are permanent US residents and actively seeking citizenship can be considered for Federal appointments. Therefore, you are required to provide documentation that confirms you are actively seeking citizenship at the time you submit your application.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

At the time of application, if you choose not to upload the documents, you will be directed to a webpage which lists the available fax coversheets for any documents we require. (Veterans note: documents related to veteran's preference are requested only when you first register in NSF's eRecruit system.) Please print out the appropriate fax coversheet(s) and follow the instructions carefully. All faxing/uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the vacancy closing date.If you are faxing your information, please use extreme care in dialing the fax number to assure we receive your information. You will receive an email confirmation of receipt of your faxed/uploaded document(s).